Friday, December 30, 2016

Schooled by a Senior

Aut Banks is brilliant bad boy with a chip on his shoulder.
Mrs. Macmillan is a substitute teacher way in over her head.
When they're forced to work together, the sexual tension is off the charts.
Will the teacher remain professional or will she be schooled in a lesson on sex by a filthy boy who barely fits in his desk?

About K. Webster

K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.
Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.
You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!
Website: www.authorkwebster.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bllgoP

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Markus Reeves is sucking. Big-time. Toiling away on a minor-league hockey team hundreds of miles away from home, he's watching his dreams of an NHL career fade away. Add in the lingering guilt he has over the dramatic demise of his relationship with college girlfriend, Mekena, and he's a mess on and off the ice.

But the family of his heart, the Sinclairs, won't let Markus suffer any longer. When he arrives himself back in Nashville for a trial run on the Assassins, it feels like his life may be making a turn for the better. If only he could get Mekena to forgive him...

Mekena Preston has been hurting since fleeing Nashville following the horror of Markus's betrayal with her sister. Now a professional photographer, Mekena finds herself in the same place at the same time with Markus to celebrate Lucy and Benji Paxton's wedding. Neither of them has been able to move on—and they're starting to wonder if they really want to.

They're headed for a face-off at the altar unless they can confront their past and unearth the truth about what really happened on that fateful night.

“You are, by far, the most patient man I know.”Baylor grimaced as she took Dawson from Markus’s outstretched hands. He smiled as Dawson looked at him innocently. He knew the little guy didn’t mean to puke all over him and he wasn’t upset, but he was trying to figure out a way to get to the house and shower before he had to talk to Mekena. He highly doubted that baby puke would be an aphrodisiac. Maybe it would be? Huh.He wasn’t going to try, though. As Baylor cuddled Dawson against her, Markus waved her off. “It’s no big deal. He’s a baby.”She smiled shyly. “Yes, but Ashlyn pooped on you too.”He grinned as he shrugged, trying not to laugh. It was a tough rehearsal for Dawson, Ashlyn, and Markus. Puke and poop were big-time stars during the hour of watching the Sinclairs and Grace Justice try to put together a wedding. He wasn’t sure what was funnier, Jace glaring as Jordie walked with Avery, or Ashlyn farting and then realizing she had just shit all over him. It was a toss-up, but then Dawson decided to puke down the front of his shirt, and he figured he was now a substitute for a baby rag. “I volunteered.”“Still, we’re really sorry,” Avery said, holding Ashlyn close as she rocked her back and forth. “I understand if you don’t want to watch her ever again.”“Nonsense,” he said, laughing as he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked around. He spotted Mekena at the front of the altar, taking pictures of random things. He wasn’t sure if she was done, but maybe he could slip away. “How much longer until y’all are done?”“We’re done, but Lucy and Benji have some pre-wedding pictures they’re having done with Angie.”“So Mekena isn’t done?”Avery smiled. “Nope, she’s got a bit.”“Can you pass a message for me?”“Sure.”“Let her know that I went back to the cabin to shower and clean up?”“Yeah, of course. I’ll tell Jace to tell her since I’m taking Ashlyn to bed.”“Cool, thanks,” he said, kissing her cheek and then Baylor’s, before rubbing Dawson’s head. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”Before he could get far, though, Baylor smiled. “Thanks again.”“Anytime. I mean that.”Avery smiled. “Thanks.”“Also, good luck,” Baylor added.Flashing them both a big grin, he nodded. “I need it.”Heading out the back, he made it back to the cabin quickly. When he entered, though, Mr. Right was sitting on the windowsill howling. “Whoa, man. What’s up?”Meoooooowwwwwwww, he wailed, with his mouth wide open as his hair stood on end.“Bro, I don’t know what to say. I don’t speak your language. Are you singing? Do you want me to sing too? Meoooowwwwww,” he said, and Mr. Right looked back at him, almost with a glare. “We should add some beat to that and make a remix,” Markus joked as the cat wailed. Deciding that was a good idea, he pulled out his phone and started to beatbox as the cat wailed, recording it on his SnapChat. The cat must have realized what he was doing because he looked back, scowling, and Markus hid his phone. He didn’t want to admit it, but Mr. Right kind of freaked him out.

Review

Face off at the Altar is another fabulous addition to the Assassin's series. In it, Toni Aleo delivers an emotional second chance romance story that has its own different twist. Makena and Markus' relationship took a turn for the bad years ago, and it left Makena hurt and full of hate, while Markus suffered his own pain over the ordeal. But Lucy's wedding is about to drag it all up again, and this time Markus isn't walking away without setting a few things straight with Makena.

I really enjoyed the angst and drama build up as Markus struggled with how to explain things to Makena and as she tried to make things okay so she could get through the wedding in one piece. I really loved how Toni worked in the family issues as well as the other, because as a whole it made for one interesting story.

Second Chances don't come around often, so when a book nails the second chance romance genre it always leaves me with a an extra feeling of happy. Markus and Makena were amazing together and for them to work through what had torn them apart and be able to move past it made this book a compelling read.

My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.… and did I mention I love hockey?

Sean O'Malley has never tried to
hide who he is. He shows it in the motorcycle thrumming between the legs of his
tight jeans…the shaggy hair that falls in his gorgeous eyes…the wicked gleam in
his smile when he asks Emma out for a drink. Sean is a rebel, a bad boy, and a
ton of fun: exactly the kind of guy she's sworn off forever.

Emma isn't just the prim
kindergarten teacher she appears to be. And somehow Sean can tell. As soon as
he pulls up to her overheated car he knows that a fast bike and a cold beer
will fix her rotten day better than compliments or a bubble bath. Her
straitlaced exterior and her wild heart light him up. But Emma wants to escape
her past and settle down—and if her desk jockey dates don't understand where
she comes from, at least she doesn't worry about them bringing her back.

One weekend of intense connection
can't change the paths Sean and Emma have chosen. But with a little space to be
themselves together, maybe the rest of the world can wait...

They climbed back on the motorcycle
and left the parking lot. Sean drove them into a quiet residential neighborhood
of single-family homes. Not an apartment in sight. Her radar immediately
pinged. This was not a guy who had his shit together enough to own a house.

She could write a book on how to
pick up the man-boy. Sean parked and she shoved the thought away. This was
about the weekend. About her getting what she wanted—no, needed—for the moment. Then she’d go back to her real life and look
for what she should have. What she really wanted. At least find a guy who was
adult enough to not live at home with mom.

Sean held her hand and pulled her to
the back of the building. When he moved toward basement steps, she pulled from
his grasp. “Where are we going?”

“My place.” He hitched his chin in
the direction of the door. “My room’s in the basement.”

“What are you? Twelve?”

“My brother Tommy and I have it set
up as our own place.”

She sighed. “Do you at least have
your own bedroom? Or am I supposed to screw you with an audience?”

He laughed and reached for her hip.
His voice dropped into the sexy range. “While I share a lot of things with my
brother, a woman isn’t one.”

Then he turned and pushed her toward
the steps leading upstairs. “We can have a drink upstairs first so you can see
I’m not a crazy guy looking to lock you in my basement.”

She laughed a little at that. For a
bad boy, Sean was pretty adept at reading things. He opened the back door and
flicked on the light, flooding the kitchen. As he locked up, she saw how beat
up his hand was. His knuckles were red and swollen.

She winced. “You should ice your
hand.”

Sean reached into the refrigerator
and handed her a bottle of beer. With his own bottle in one hand, he grabbed a
bag of frozen green beans with the other. Emma took his beer from him and
opened it.

He flexed his hand and looked at it
as if he hadn’t noticed before. “No big deal.”

But it was a big deal. She’d been in
similar situations too many times to recall. Her mom had taught her to smile
and laugh it off, but Emma had never been able to do that. It rattled her every
time. Memories of the guy pressing against her, trapping her, washed over her
now. From deep in her bones, she felt every part of her start to tremble. To
cover it, she gulped some beer.

She gripped the bottle tightly as
she set it on the table and took a seat across from Sean. He watched her
closely. “You sure that guy didn’t do anything to you? I mean, other than get
in your face?”

She shook her head and didn’t like
the way the room started to spin, so she answered, “No.”

“You look really upset.”

“I’m fine. Are we going downstairs
or what?” Right now, she’d give almost anything to forget this day. She pushed
off the table, wobblier than she’d thought she was.

Sean stood, still eyeing her, and
tossed his vegetables back in the freezer. She finished her beer and suddenly
realized the goldfish crackers she’d eaten in her car were the closest thing
she’d had to dinner. No wonder the alcohol had hit so hard. Sean grabbed her
hand and led her downstairs.

The basement was mostly unfinished.
Concrete floor and walls. A washer and dryer sat against one side. Sean pulled
her toward the back of the basement. Actually, the front of the house. There,
crudely constructed walls divided the space.

He pointed toward the corner.
“That’s the bathroom. Tommy’s room is next to it. This one’s mine,” he added
with his hand on the doorknob.

She snickered. “This is your idea of
having it set up like an apartment?”

“It’s better than a mattress on the
floor or sleeping on the living room couch.”

The last remark hit home because
that was exactly where she’d found Nicky more often than she cared to consider.
So at least Sean was a step up from her loser brother.

Meet the Hero (In Your Arms)
– Sean O’Malley

By: Shannyn Schroeder

I love the O’Malleys. From the first moment I wrote about
them in my O’Learys series, I fell for them. And Sean is one of my favorites.
Everyone describes him as a live-and-let-live kind of guy who happens to be
quick with his fists. And that really sums up who he is.

Sean is all about enjoying life. He works as a mechanic
because he likes working on cars. It’s not a stepping-stone to some other
career. He plays hockey every chance he gets and rides his motorcycle until the
weather prohibits it. He does whatever he wants, pretty much no matter what.
When he has a chance to enjoy a long motorcycle ride due to some unexpected
awesome weather, he goes, even though it costs him his job. He knows he won’t
have a problem getting a new one.

Sean loves his family and likes having them around. It’s
part of why he continues to live at home. He can afford to live in his own
place, but he chooses not to. He’s very protective of everyone he cares about,
and that’s the reason he’s usually so quick to use his fists.

Part of why Sean refuses to be more than an “overgrown boy”
is because he grew up watching his older brother Jimmy take care of everyone.
Jimmy is ultra-responsible and Sean doesn’t want to live with that kind of
burden.

When he meets Emma, he starts to want a relationship with
her and doesn’t understand how he could fall for a woman who is a female
version of Jimmy. She expects him to be something he can’t be, but for her he’s
willing to try.

Meet the Heroine (In Your Arms)–
Emma Long

By: Shannyn Schroeder

I had a great time writing Emma Long. She came to me in
pieces a while ago as a character. I thought about a Kindergarten teacher who
normally has a potty-mouth, but limits how many times a day she can swear
(five) and the rest of the time, she improvises (fudge monkey). At first I had
no reason why she was like this or any of the rest of her backstory, but I
wanted to know.

As I started thinking about Sean O’Malley, I knew she would
be a good fit for him. The O’Malley boys use the word fuck in every other
sentence, so pairing Sean with a woman who really tries not to swear would be
fun.

But as I got to know Emma, there was so much more to her.
She has an older brother, Nicky, who is completely unreliable. She was raised
by a single mother, Brandi, who wasn’t the best provider. The only thing that
Emma could count on as a kid was birthday cake on her birthday. As she says,
it’s the one thing her mom got right. So now, birthday cake is comfort food for
Emma.

Emma grew up as a wild child. School was hard, so she charmed
her way through. Once she got out of high school, she worked random jobs, often
at the same bars where her mother worked. The party lifestyle suited her.

Until they were evicted (again). Then Emma decided she
wanted more out of life. In order to make that happen, she needed to change.
She went back to school and became a teacher. She’s now the responsible member
of the family and her brother and mother rely on her.

Emma wants everything she didn’t have growing up. She wants
a husband, kids, and house with a backyard. She needs something she can count
on and she’s working her ass off to make that happen. Unfortunately, she tends
to be drawn to guys who don’t fit the bill.

When she meets Sean, she knows he’ll be great for a night,
or maybe even a weekend, but she can’t count on him for the long haul. Or can
she?

Playlist for In Your Arms

By: Shannyn Schroeder

For a few years now, I’ve been developing my process for
writing a book, especially since I’m not a plotter. I can’t outline a book
before I write. One of things I do that I find really helps ground me in a book
is having a playlist. I create the playlist before I ever write a word. I
choose songs based on what I know about the characters and the arc of the
story. Sometimes I choose songs that still fit by the time the book is done,
other times, not so much. Once the playlist is created, I listen to it almost
nonstop before writing (to the point of annoying my children) and every time I
sit down to write.

It’s been almost a year and a half since I drafted In Your Arms and I have to say this is
one of the best playlists I’ve ever created. It still holds up for the
characters and the book. It’s also one of my favorite lists. It’s mostly fun
and upbeat, just like the book.

If I had to choose just one song to represent the book as a
whole, it would have to be Shut Up and
Dance by Walk the Moon. It’s all about being attracted and belonging
together, but she holds back and he knows it. Running a close second would be Bad Enough for You by All Time Low
because Sean knows that Emma loves his bad boy side. It’s what she’s drawn to,
and she doesn’t really want him to be nice to her.

I loved getting to know the O'Malley boys in Nora's book, Under Your Skin, so I was super excited to dig into In Your Arms knowing I was going to see one of those boys knocked out by love. In Your Arms, Sean's story was just as fabulous as Nora's; full of emotion and unexpected feelings.

There's was a meeting by chance, the bad boy with no care for responsibility stopping to help the nice and proper respectable teacher on the side of the road. What could have been a weekend tryst of unexpected pleasure led to so much more.

Emma wants stability in her life, she wants things smooth and following her plan; Have a good steady job, find a nice man, marry, and the babies will follow. It works out perfectly in her head and she knows jsut the type of man she should be aiming for. But the heart doesn't always listen to the head and when Emma finds herself in the sphere of Sean O'Malley, well all bets are off.

If Sean had dreamed up who the perfect woman for himself would be, he couldn't have gotten close to who Emma is, because Sean wouldn't have realized that its not really about the traits of a person, but more who they truly are. I really enjoyed that aspect of this book, the fact that Sean had to grow up and change during the story, to figure out what love really is and what it takes to find it. Sean knew he wanted to get to know Emma, he wanted to add something to her life, but it took him a little while to figure out why that was.

In Your Arms is a fun romantic tale, that left me laughing, swooning and also sometimes a little frustrated with the characters and the things they were doing/thinking. Shannyn Schroeder pulls it all together with relatable characters and details that grab you into the story. This book proves that love truly is unexpected and sometimes we find it where (and with whom) we least expect it. It also shows us that for the right person and at the righ time, people can and do change their life outlook. Sean shows a lot of growth throughout this book, from the carefree attitude of a single and happy male at the start to something more worthy of a relationship.

I love how Schroeder hooks me into the story by making me fall for each of the characters, giving me the chance to root for them as the rest of the story unfolds. I can't wait to see what comes in future books in this series.

Don't miss the other FOR YOUR LOVE titles!

Shannyn
Schroeder is the author of the O’Leary series, contemporary
romances centered around a large Irish-American family in Chicago and the Hot
& Nerdy series about 3 nerdy friends finding love. Her new series (For Your
Love) will release this summer with the first title Under Your Skin. When she’s
not wrangling her three kids or writing, she watches a ton of TV and loves to
bake cookies.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

From New York Times Bestselling Author, S.L. Scott, comes this downright delicious peek into the male anatomy... er, mind of Hardy Richard.

There are only two rules:

1. Don’t get too close.

2. Don’t fall in love.

Correction: Don’t ever fall in love. I don’t need the baggage of relationships. Life should be simple, easy, uncomplicated.

The problem I’m faced with is, if I really believe life should be that easy, that uncomplicated, and that simple, then why am I still thinking about a woman I met on a random Monday at the bar? A girl who was never a Gimlet, and always a Paloma. Yep, I called it all wrong last night and I’m starting to wonder if my heart will pay the price.

I might have broken rule number one, but rule number two remains firmly intact. For now. Sort of. Okay, maybe rule two hasn’t been broken, but it’s definitely been bent.

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She's obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she's a pro.

USA TODAY bestselling author Alexa Riley's first full-length novel shows just what happens when a strong, possessive man finds the woman of his dreams. I'll never forget the way she looked, so confident and sure of herself. I watched her from a distance. She wasn't ready for me yet. I didn't approach her and I didn't disturb her, but I never once took my eyes off her. Mallory Sullivan is ready to start her new life. After graduating at the top of her class, she's landed one of the most coveted internships in the United States. Hard work and determination have gotten her to this moment of living the life she only dreamed of while growing up in foster care. From the start, I knew that she would be my greatest achievement, so the day I let her go, I set down a path for her. A path to me. She never expected Oz to be the greatest culmination of those dreams. But sometimes fate determines who you fall in love with. Who makes you lose control. Who owns your soul. And then you realize it wasn't fate at all… I've wanted to care for and protect her since the first moment I saw her. I've constructed everything in our lives so that at the perfect moment, I could have her, could give her the life she deserves. The time has come.

PREFACEMilesI’ve watched her since the beginning.It’s funny, but I don’t really remember much before her. It’s as if I could split my life into two halves. Before her and after. I remember my life with my parents, and I remember getting into college, but it’s all gray before her. Until the day I saw her, there was no color. But once my eyes landed on her for the first time, it was like when Dorothy landed in Oz and she opened the door. The world went Technicolor, and she was my very own Glinda the Good Witch.I was twenty-two years old the first time I saw her. She was seventeen and competing in a state-level high school math competition.Yale University asked me to represent them as a student judge, and I nearly declined. The state of Connecticut is small but houses one of the greatest Ivy League colleges in the country. One that makes becoming a standout almost impossible. I was among the top one percent in my class as a senior at Yale, with a major in statistics.The only reason I’d accepted the invitation was to play a part. Many expected me to follow in the footsteps of my father, and I wanted them to believe that, but my end goal was a little different than anyone knew. I was on the path of revenge, but playing a part would help me on that path. Rubbing shoulders with the same men my father did, even if it left a bitter taste in my mouth.Agreeing to judge the competition was life-changing. The bitter taste in my mouth altered that day. A sweetness took over. I wanted it. Needed it.I’ll never forget the way she looked, so confident and sure of herself. I watched her from a distance, like you would a lioness in the wild. I didn’t approach her and I didn’t disturb her, but I never once took my eyes off her.I found out later she was being sponsored by her high school so that she could attend the competition. She had no family and was being raised in a group foster home, so her school funded the trip. She was smart, and they wanted to see her succeed, which she did.I saw so much in her as she competed. She knew all the answers and was absolutely sure each time. She trusted her instincts, and they didn’t let her down. There was so much potential in her just waiting to be unleashed. I wanted to sit down and have her tell me everything, anything, as long as she talked to me.She swept the competition and won first place in her division. I was strangely proud of her.When she walked out of the hotel ballroom after the competition was over, I let her go. It was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. But I knew that if I went after her too soon, or too fast, she would run. Not only was she too young for me, but something about her told me she was the kind of woman who came along once in ten thousand lifetimes.This wasn’t to be rushed. It was to be savored.I may hate my father, but I’ve learned from his mistakes. I’m going to use those mistakes for my own advantage. He’s smart but sloppy at the same time and it’s been showing. But I know if you want something, you work hard for it, plan out all the details to make it yours.From the beginning, I knew that she would be my greatest achievement, so the day I let her go, I set down a path for her.A path to me.No one knows it’s been me behind the curtain, pulling the strings. I’ve constructed everything in our lives so that at the perfect moment, I could have her.The time has come.

Review

As a longtime reader and fan of Alexa Riley, I was super excited to get my hands on their first full length book. In reading previous books, some always left me with a thirst for more of the story, even as they satisfied me with what was there. Everything For Her was everything I expected it to be and more, a Hot Story with strong characters and a fun plot. Here's the thing, though I've loved my quick dirty reads from Alexa Riley in the past, this book, well this book changed everything.

When Miles sees Mallory for the first time, she's 17 years old and has already been through a lot. He knows she's the one, but he also knows that she's not ready for him at that time. So Miles does the only thing he can do; he waits. But while he's waiting, he's preparing for her, getting ready for when he can act on his wishes and show himself and his love to her.

Miles was great, he's Alpha Male to the fullest, but he was also not a jerk, he was over the top in his possesiveness but it didn't come off as a horribly controlling sort that would be a major con in a relationship. He's sexy, faithful and knows just what he wants and aims to get it.

Mallory was a great character too, she'd been through a lot, living in foster care and having to rely on herself to move towards the finer things in life. She strived to do well in school, because she knew what she wanted from her future and had no problem working to achieve it (albeit with some unknown help at times). I really liked how real she was, how much she felt like a woman I'd want to be friends with.

Everything But Her has the usual over the top Alpha behavior, but it feels different in this book and it truly fit the character and story. The chemistry between Miles and Mallory is explosive, their connection undeniable, and their story both fulfilling and captivating. Everything for Her had a great plot that grabbed my attention and took me on quite the journey with these two characters. From the start of the book, we are sucked into the love between these two characters, even if only one of them feels it at that moment. As the story goes on, Alexa Riley delivers everything I want in a love story, from the start of the relationship, to the misunderstandings that come between these two, and finally making up. From sweet moments, to steamy ones, the love between these two characters is palpable and left me feeling happy.

I look forward to seeing what Alexa Riley delivers in future books, because this first foray into a full length novel went way over my expectations of what these two can write, and though I loved them before, I have to say, I'm in even more awe and wonder with this book and smitten with their words.

Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.

They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!